1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the field of board games. In particular, this invention relates to the field of board games which represent sports, such as football or basketball.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Board games which represent the sport of football have been popular for many years. Many different games have been designed to use the rules and to simulate the action of the sport as much as possible. There are, of course, limits on a board game's ability to simulate the physical action of a field sport. However, a board game can reproduce some of the strategy and elements of luck in the sport, and can simulate the results of various decisions made during the course of the game.
Most football board games have flat playing boards, which represent the football playing field. Many of the games also have playing pieces, which represent individual football players. The playing pieces are moved around the playing board in various manners, in order to simulate the movement of players on a field.
One of the most difficult aspects of the sport for a board game to simulate is the forward pass play. In a pass play, one player attempts to throw a football through the air to a teammate. A pass play has several possible results: the pass can be complete, if the ball is caught by a teammate of the passer; the pass can be incomplete, if no one catches the ball; or the pass can be intercepted, if the ball is caught by a player on the defensive team.
The challenge to a board game is to simulate a forward pass play in a realistic manner. To be realistic, there must be a reasonable chance for each of the possible results to occur. Many board games use dice, or some other random number generator, and a possibility chart to give a statistically accurate result. While the results may be accurate, such games lack some of the realism of the forward pass.
Other games have a playing piece, representing the ball, which is actually propelled through the air, or across the surface of the board, to simulate the flight of the football from the passer to the receiver. However, these games generally fail to provide an accurate chance for each of the possible results: completed pass, incomplete pass, and interception.
A need therefore existed for a board game which could accurately simulate the flight of the football from passer to receiver, and still give a realistic chance for each possible result. The game apparatus of the invention is such a game.